Card processing apparatus



Aug- 13, 1963 R. M. HAYES ET'AL 3,100,431

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CARD-PROCESSING APPARATUS v Filed Jan. 12, 1959 12 sheets-shaun Aug. 13, 1963 R. M. HAYES ETAL CARD PROCESSING APPARATUS 12 Sheets-Sheet 12 Filed Jan. 12, 1959 M55 Cw 1076 jaag W Si 1 i CARD `PROCIEISSNG APPARATUS Robert M. Hayes, Sherman (laks, and Alfred M. Nelson,

Redondo Beach,- Calif., assignors to Magnavox Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 12, 1959, Ser. No. 736,214 2.6 Ciaims. (Cl. 595-73) The present invention relates todocument storage sys' cards bearing'new documentary data into the proper loV y cations in the over-all tile.

In general, the system and apparatus of the invention is intended to provide for the storage of large quantities of documentary data and, at'the same time, to provide for the automatic and rapidl access-to any desired portion of the data tile. Y

Card processing systems and apparatus are lknown in which data yis stored on a plurality of individual cards. The data' is so stored either in the form of punchings conforming to a coded pattern, in the form of ygrou ings of magnetic `dots of north or south polarity selected in accordance with a predetermined code, or in a variety v of other ways.`

The information storage cards referred to in the pre#` cedin'gfparagraph are lstored in the card processing apparatus in a stacked vcondition in one or more cardholding stations., `Equipment has been devised whichis capable of receiving the cards in succession from the card holding stations, and which includes transport means for carrying the cards a progression past suitable trans'- ducers. These transducers serve to convent the Idataon the various cards into electrical `si-gnals.- Y

The transducers process'therecorded data on the cards to initiate appropriate controls. 'lhese controls enable the cards tobe sorted, collated, or otherwise dealt with at a high speed. Also, the transducers maybe controlled tc read data fnom the cards or to write new ldata on the cards. f K

' The present invention will be described in conjunction with the magneticy recording type of cards, and in conjunction with apparatus for handling such cards which utilizes one or more rotatable vacuum pressured-ansport 'drums for carrying the cards from one station to another. V It will be clear, however, as the description proceeds that the invention can be used with many dii-` ferent types of card recording techniques and card transport systems. Y Y y The need i'or large volume document Vstorage with fast, mechanized selective access tothe storeddoournents, has been rapidly increasing inrecent'years., The development of microiilm techniques has been a big step in overcoming the problems of handling and storing copies of individual documents. However, this type of storage isV 32,100,431 Patented Aug. 13, 1963 ment copies are stored lon individual cards or the like. 'Howeven prior art systems and apparatus using such cards in accordance with prior art practice do not fully answer the basic problems of rapid mechanized access to any desired gnoup of the stored documentary copies.

An important object of the present invention is to provide an improved document storage system which is capable of providing document storage on an individual card basis, and ywhich system exhibits an ability to select rapidly any desired cand or group of cards.

The improved document storage apparatus and system of the invention is also advantageous in that it may be constructed to provide for the handling of expansions in any portion .of the documentary data stored in the system, the arrangement being such that new cards representing such expansion can be quickly and conveniently collated to the proper location in the system. Also, the improved documentary storage apparatus and system of the embodiment of the invention to be described exhibits an ability to conveniently update and modify the identitying data'on any of the cands used in the system.

In the embodiment of the invention to'be described, the documentary data is recorded photographically in reduced sizeon each oi a plurality of separate cards. For example, each card may bear photographic impnessions of several documentary pages. In addition, the identifying information yfor each card is recorded on the card in the form of magnetic dots of one polarity or the other. However, the identifying information can be recorded in any other `form such as punched holes or opaque dots responsive to photoelectric techniques.

By the use of cards such as those described above, and lby the provision of apparatus for handling such cards,

manyk signiticant advantages can be gained. For exam ple, files can be easily organized for maximum efficiency with respect to access of individual documentary items.

Ican easily beremoved for transfer to other tiles.

A furtheradvantage of the embodiment ci the inven-l tion to be described is the fact that the magnetic coded i identifying data on the various cards [can easily be changed for revision and updating purposes. Moreover, the hanidling speeds of the apparatus to be described in transportmg the cards for collating, sorting and selection are of the order of hundreds off cards per second. In addition,

i processes.

n 'on the cards is unnecessary. l

the equipment which vvill be described is extremely reliable in its operation.

y'Illie photographic storage of che document images on the cards can be conveniently oarriedout 4by use of recent techniques that |have been 4developed in photognaphic Eer example, diano emulsions offer acornpletely v lautomatic self-contained exposure andy development of the emulsions. chemical'deveioping process for the photographic images The concepts and further lealtures tand advantagesl of the present invention vvill be better understood by a conpanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 snows an iniormation storage card fabricated in accordance with .the inventionfrtlie card being shown one somewhat eniarged scale to illustrate clearly the'mianner in whichmagnetic data is recorded on a portion .of the card and photognaphic images are placed on another portion;

FIGUREV 2 is a schematic represenfuation of4 suitable apparatus bor producing mastercards in accordance V'with fthe present invention from data derived tiro-m a punched tape and from Va microfilm;

FIGURE 3 is la top lpian view of the apparatus of iderationof che following description andof the accomrlhis means that Va separateV FIGURE 2, naar new snowing rn greater @aan i Y the various components which makeup the appanatus for forming master cards in accordance with the invention; A

FIGURE 4 is fa piantial sectional view substantially on Y lthe line `4 4 lof FIGURE 3 to show the constructional details of k-avacuum pressuretransponting drum` which FIGURE 7 is a top plan view of suitable apparatus for collating the master cards produced by the Yapparatus of FIGURE 2' Wirth 'associated index cards, the colhating apparatus providing la stack of cardsin which each masteri card is iollrowed` by all the index cards pertainingto-the panticularrnaster card;

FIGURE 8 is ia :circuit diragnam ofthe logic controly system required to accomplish the desired purpose of the appanatns of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is 1a perspective View in .somevvhatschematic form of suitable ,apparatus ltor nse in conjunction with the :apparatus of FIGURE 3 to effect a photographic. transfer from the rnicnolm to the master cards, and also to effect photognaphic tnansters thorn each master card to its associated index cards; v

FIGURE l() is a circuit diagram of ra suit-able logic control :system for contnolling the appanatusof FIGURE 3 rto enable that appanatus rautornaticaily `to tnansfer photognaph-ic data trom each master card to. its associated index cards;

`FIGURE 1'1 is :a top plan view of suitable appanatus for automatically separating the index cardsrfnomrthc .master cards, and tor separating index Acards into-'various Vcards-into viarilous subject matter lgnoups;

FIGURE lf2. is raflogic diiagna'rn of :asuitable control sylste'm ttor fthe apparatus ot FIGURE 101;-

' FIGURE ll3 is la perspective view of. suitable appanatus in which the cards of the present inventionV may bestored Iand which enables a desiredv card to be selected;

and Y LFIGURB14 is -a .representation of logic circuitry capa- 4 panallel rows, with v256 binary bits in each row. The organization may then be such that 256.columns of binary data a-re formed on each card, with each column representing a multidi-git binary number. binary nurnber, in turn, may represent a decimal number leqrrivallent or la letter or word, depending on the type oi coding used.

The magnetic data may then be organized into fields, with each field being devoted to la different type ci information. In each instance, of course, the magnetic data serves `to index and identify the documentary images on the particular card. r[The purpose of the magnetic data is to .permit the card to be automatically processed so that the card or cands representing a desired group of documents Inlay be quickly selected from the entire le,

Whenever such cards lare desired, yand later reentered the nie.

The photographic storage area 13 :of each off vthe inforf mation storage cards may have, for example, a capacity,

tor receiving the photographic images of sevenv doeh-v ment pages. Each pagev may have anormal dimension ot-V 81/2 x 14, for example, and the photographic'reducf tion ratio may conveniently be of the order oi 251i.

When la document is received Whichlis to be incorporated into the storage system of rthe invention, the doc uf j ment is first micnoiilmed in accordance with usual microtilrning techniques, The -rnicnolrning may, torexarnplefbe on '16 mm. film, and the usual page inarne symbols and end of -docume `syrnbolsmay be used. Y

Then, by a standard key punching operation, based on areadingv ofthe microfilm, a punched tape record `is prof duced.` Thisrecord will include .the document number and page count. Ask noted above, in a particular example it is proposed Vthat eachinformation card will havea` capacity to receive the photographic images 0f seveny document pages. Therefore, a punched taperecordwill" include a punching at the end of each interval corre-` sponding to seven document pages, Iand this punching Will ble of automatically controlling the equipment ci the invention. Y

yThe information stonage Acard illustnated in FIGURE 1 is ldesi-gned to` carry-raser` ofdocurnent images, as lWell asl coded magnetic identifying data. 'Iihe card dirnen sions may, forexample, be l x .3 x .005. The card may have la blase formed otra plastic material such as the material presently rnacrlseted` by fthe E. I. duPonrt Yde Nemours Company and designated by that company |as Mylarv A llayer ctmagnetizableonide is formed on the pfonti'on of the base which constitutesthe magnetic tarea. 'Ilhiis area may extend the lengt-hor card and have la width, tor example, orf @Vs of an inch. This inagnetizabl'e oxide layer is of the type having a high retentivityrso that -localized raneas of the layer can be permanently mgnetized with ra nonth polarity orwith a south polanity in accordance lwith a designated code.

A rlaye'rtof' photognaphic emulsion is also formed on fthebase to pnovide the-photographic stonage area for fthe documentary images. This uatter` Layer may `also extend, for example, the length of the card and .it may have a width ofi/s inch. A thin protective layer of Mylar unay then be formed over the magnetic land photographic be used ina Vmanner tobe described to control there; leasel cfa new master card Whose` composition'will also. be described. Also, Vfor anydocument having more than seven pages, the identifying data on the punched tapeVA willy be arranged so that a plurality of.` master ,cards may be'properly identhed as `carrying documentary images: of several pages all'pertainin'g to a single document.

The microfilm and the punched tape arethen actedonk by the apparatus shown -in FIGURE 2 to provide one or` more master cards for each document, as determined by'` v the number of documentary pages.

The apparatus of FIGURE 2 includes a table top 11,; and three rotatable vacuum pressure drums 12, u14 4arid `16 are mountedk on the table top. The drums 12 and 14 arel mounted contiguous to one another, as are the drums 14 and 1'6.`A The dnums 12l and 16 may be rotatedV in -a` counter-clockwise direction, and the drurn14 may bero-A tated in a clockwise direction. The Vconstructional de`` tails of these drums will be described subsequently;` Each.. drum is controlled so that it produces a vacuum pressure.`

at its peripheral surface, andv this vvacuum pressure serves" Y to tinrnly retain the information cards on,v that surface?,

to enable such cards tolbe transported from onezstation'j to another. The drurnslz and'14` rotate atan equal and relatively high speed, Whereas'the drur'n 1-6rotates intr` mrttently at a relatively 10W speed.

A quantity of cards such as the card condition in a feed type of card holding station 18. The.V feed station 178 is mounted on the table top 11 an-d is disposed wrth its mouth adjacent the peripheral surface. off

the drum 12. The cards are controllably fed from the'V then transferred to the drum 16, to be later returned `tor the drum 14 and thenreturnedto the drum 12. The cardj isfnally stacked ina stack type of card holding station described VinconVV Junctionwrth FIGURE 1 are stored in an upright, stacked!fl 20 in a generally `upright stacked condition. The stack` station 20 is also mounted on the table top 11 with its mouth adjacent the periphery of the drum 12.

The punchedtape which contains the identifying information for the different master cards is indicated schematically as 22. This tape is fed* through a tape y reader lof any known construction, and the data corresponding to the various punchings on the tape is converted by the reader to electrical signals. These signals-are introduced to a transducer 24. The transducer is mounted on the table top 11, and it incorporates a plurality of electromagnetic writing-reading transducer heads. The transducer may have -any appropriate known construction. For example, it may be constructed in the manner described in co-pending application 505,248 -iiled May 2, 1955, now Patent No. 3,039,681, in the name of Alfred Nelson et al.; or in co-pending application 688,202, tiled October 4, 1957, now Patent No. 3,029,021, in the name Eric Azari et al. The transducer is positioned onthe table top 11 adjacent the periphery of the drum 14.

When the signals from the tape 22 are `fed to the transducer 24,-this transducer causes the magnetic lstorage area of the transported cards such as the card to be mag- -netized with dots of north or south polarity in accordance with the data to be recorded, and the magnetized `data on the different cards corresponds to the data punched in the tape 2,2. Therefore, as each master card'is carried yby the drum 14 past the transducer 2,4, identifying information on the tape 22 corresponding to that master card is transferred to the magnetic area of the card. The card is then transferred to the drum 16 so` that the corre-I graphic emulsion on the particular card.

As noted above, the drum 16 is moved in an intermittent manner in synchronism with the drive of the drum 16. Seven frames of the microfilm corresponding, for example, to the storage capacity of each card, are simultaneously exposed onto the photographic area of the card during a dwell interval in the intermittent -driveof the drum 16 and of the microfilm. The card is then carried by the drum `1'6 to a developing station whichis represented schematically as 28. As noted above, when a particular type of photographic technique is fused, using diazo emulsions, for example, the exposure and ldeveloping can be combined in a single station.` Suitable apparatus for effecting this will be described subsequently in pages, and it4 also includes magnetic Vinformation-which This card is then returned to identities the document. the drum 14, and it is subsequently returned to the drum 1-2 to be stacked 4in the stack station 20. `In this manner, a plural-ity of master cards are provided in the stack station, with each master card bearing a set of photographic document images and carrying magnetic information identifying the document.

As noted above, the apparatus of FIGURE 2 is shown in somewhat more detail in FTGURE 3. As shown in FIGURE 2, the feed station 18 has a feed head 50 associated with it. This head may be constructed'in the manner described and claimed in co-pending application 552,506 which was filed December 12, 1955, now Patent No. 2,927,791, in lche name of Hans M. Stearn. This feed head extends through the yleading wall of the stationr 18 (with respect to the rotation of the drum-16), and it pro'-l jects partially acnoss' the mouth yoff the station. A vacuum the station and against the face of the feed head to be retained in the station by the vacuum pressure established at that face. The leading portion of the leading card in the station also engages the periphery of the drum L12. Therefore, the vacuum pressure at the periphery of the drum 12 tends to withdraw the leading card from the feed station 18, but the vacuum pressure which is established at. the .j face 'of thefeed head 50 overcomes that tendency and holds the card in the station.

A suitable solenoid-controlled valve is included in the line to the feed head 50 so that the Vacuum pressure at the head can be controllably interrupted. Whenever such an interruption is effectuated, the leading card is drawn by the drum 12 out of the feed station 18 and through a throat formed by the leading edge Iof the trailing wall of the station and the periphery lof the drum 12. The dimensions of this throat are such that a single card lonely may 'be released from the station lat any particular time. Therefore, hy controlling the actuation of the solenoid valve Vin the feed line of the feed head S0, the leading card may he released from the feed station 18 whenever such a release is desired. Y Y

The released card is carried `on the periphery of the drum 12, and it may be transferred to the vacuum transport drum 14 :by a gate transfermechanism 52. This gate transfer 'mechanism may he similar to the mechanism described in co-pending application 562,152y which was filed January 30, 1956, now Patent No. 2,811,753, in the name lof Peck etal. The gate transfer mechanism 52 wiltl also be described in some detail in conjunction with FIG- URE 5. This mechanism is controlled to emit streams of a pressurized fluid, such as air, tangentially of the periphery of the drum 12. Whenever such streams tare emitted, acard looming under their influence is stripped from the periphery of the `drum `12 and *brought under the iniiuence `of lnhe vacuum pressure at the periphery of the drum 14. The master card is thereby transferred to the drum 14s() that it may be lcarried by it past the transducer head 24 to receive the required magnetic identifying data.

The drum 16, as noted above, is driven intermittently at a relatively low speed. This latter drum also is oonstructed to provide ya vacuum pressure at its peripheral surface. Unlike the drums V12 Iand 14, the periphery of the low speed drum 16 is provided with a series of axially extending ribs 54 which are equi-angularly spaced about the periphery by distances corresponding to the length of the cards. These-ribs define a series tof peripheral pockets about the drum 16 which serve to receive the cards transferred to the drum 16 from the drum 14.

A further gate transfer mechanism 56 is mounted on f the table top 11 adjacent the [contiguous point of the drums 14 and 16. The gate transfer mechanism 56 may .be similarin its construction to the gate transfer mechanism 5?.. The gate transfer mechanism 56 produces controllable streams of pressurized fluid such as air tangential-ly of the periphery of the drum 14. tWhen a card is carried by the periphery olf the drum 14 into thevvicinity of these streams, its leading edge is forced outwardly from the drum and is 'carried by the drum into arresting engagement with Ione of the ribs 54 on the periphery tof the drum 16, which is rotating intermittently at a slower speed than the drum 14. As the drums 14 and 16 notate, the leading edge of the card to be transferred is peeled out from -the periphery of the drum 14 .by the pressurized streams from the gate 56, and this card rides up over a gate transfer mechanism 53 which is mounted adjacent the gate transfer mechanism 56. The leading edge of the card then strikes a slow-moving rib 54 which arrests the card so that it slides von the periphery fof the drum 14. Then as the drum 16 slowly rotates in its intermittent manner, the card is transferred to the periphery of the drum `16, with the transferred card lying in one of the peripheral pockets defined by a corresponding pair of the ribs 54. f

p The gate transfer mechanism 58 may be constructed in a manner similar to the gate transfer mechanisms .52. and 56, and it serves to produce streams of pressurized uid tangentially of the drum 16 to transfer :cards from that drum back to the periphery of the drumf14. Likewise, a gate transfer mechanism 60 is mounted adjacent the gate transfer mechanism 52, and it too may have va similar construction rto the other gate transfer mechanisms. The' gate transfer mechanism 60 serves to return the cards from the drum 14 to the drum 12. Fllhe returned cards are then carried by the drum to the stack station 20.

The stacking station 20 may be constructed in a manner similar to the stations disclosed in co-pending application 566,404 lwhich was filed` February 20, 1956, now Patent No. 3,023,894, in the name of Jerome B. Wiener,

' or in copending application 571,088 which was filed March 12, 1956, now Patent No. 2,982,546, in the name of Minoru Endo, or it may have any other appropriate construction. v

rPhe stack station 20 is equipped with'a stack head 62, this stackl head being mounted on the table top 11 adjacent the trailing wall of the stack station 20 (with respect to the rotation of the drum 12). The stack head 62 has fingers which extend into close proximity with the periphery of the drum 12. Each card transported by the drum yacross the mouth of the station 20 rides up over the fingersvof the stack head 62 and is arrested by the stack head. The arrested card extends 'across the mouth of the station 20. A stationary pickaoff member 64 is mounted on the table top 11 adjacent the leading Wall lodi the stack rides up over the pick-olf 64 and is arrested `across the mouth of the stack station 20 lwith its trailing edge held out from the periphery of the drum 12. The next succeeding card then passes up over the pick-olf and under the preceding card to deposit the preceding card in the stack station.` In this manner, the cards are stacked in the station 20 in their proper sequence, and any tendency for jamming is avoided.

The vmicrofilm is drawn past `a suitable exposing lamp 66 `at the exposure'station 26. This station may include the usual photographic equipment and synchronous drive ior the microlm to er1-able a plurality of frames from the microfilm to be exposed onto the photographic emulsion` of each master card. This exposure, as noted, occurs when a master card is arrestedA by the intermittently driven drumf-16 at the exposure station. After such eX- posure, the master card is Icarried to the developing station 28 so that the, documentary images may be developed, andV they master card is then returned to the Stack station 20. In a manner to be described, the feed head 50 of the lfeed station 18 ,is iirst controlled to release a master card. The lgate 2 isthen activatediat the proper time to trans-Y fer the master card to the drum 14. A selected recording j from the magnetic tape 22 is written o-n the master card by the write transducer 24, yand the gate transfer'vmechanism 56 is subsequently activated to transfer the card to the drum.l16. The card is then carried to the exposure station 26 sc that the documentary limages from the micro.- ilm maybe exposed onto it, which images pertain to the document corresponding to the magnetic data recorded on the card from the punched tape.

'lhe master card is then carried to the developing station 28, and the gate transfer mechanism 58 is activated at the proper time to return the card to the drum `14. The

tion 18 to undergo the'same treatment.

stack containing groups of photographic documentary irnages and corresponding identifying magnetically recorded information.

The drums 12, 14 and 16 may be constructed in a man-A ner similar to that described in co-pending application 600,975 which w-as filed July 30, 1956, now Patent No. Y

2,883,189, in the name of Loren Wilson. Such a drum will be described in conjunction with FIGURE 4. AS noted above, FGURE 4 is a representation of the drum 112. However, the drums 14 and 16 may be similarly constructed. Of course, other transport media may be used, and the rotatable transport drums are described in this application merely as a convenient example orf an appropriate transp-ort medium.

When so desired, the drums v12 and 14 may be stationary, and the cards may be driven around their peripheries by air streams in accordance with Bernoulli principles. Such a stationary drum is shownand described, for example, in oopending application Serial No. 731,413, filed April 28, 1958, now Patent No. 2,981,411.

As [fully described in the `co-pending Wilson applica- 1 tion Serial No. 600,975, now Patent No. 2,883,189, the drum 12 is provided with a lower section and 1an upper section. The lower section of the drum includes a disklike bottom portion `118 and an integral annular side portion 102. A pair of Iaxially spaced peripheral slots 122 and 124 extend thro-ugh the side portion 120. The slots 1-22 and 124 extend completely around the periphery of the side portion 120. In order to retain the integral construction of the side portion 120, this portion may be reinforced at its inner surface by a plurality of ribs `126. A pair of axially spaced peripheral grooves extend around the peripheral surface of theside portion 1720. These grooves are respectively positioned adjacent the slots 122 and 124, and they receive the above-described finger-like portions of the stack head 62 and of the pick-olf 64 Vassociated with the stack station l20.

The disk-like bottom portion 118 of the lower section of the drum is undercut asshown at I128. rIlhis enables the table top 11 to extend beyond the louter limits of the yside portion 1120 so that the side portion overlaps the tion 118 of the lower section. 'Ilhe upper section 130 is Y held in place on the side portion 120 by a plurality of screws 132.

When one of the cards is fed from the feed station i,

18 to the drum 1-2, this card is held on the outer'peripheral surface of the side portion 120 of the drum by vacuum pressure. Y Y f A deflector ring is supported within the interior of the drum 12 in press fit with the inner surface with the annular side portion 120.V This deilector ring is tapered towardsthe center of the drum to minimize the turbulence of air flowing through the drum iand to provide a streamlined path ior the lair which is drawn in through the orifices 122 and 124. The undersuriace of upper section 130 is bulged to have a convex shape This convex shape cooperates with the ring 140 in providing a smooth path for the air drawn in through the foriticesv122 and 124.

A portion 118 of the lower section of the drum 12 contains `a central opening which is delined by an annular collar 141. The collar 141 lits on la second col-lar 142 drum in press lit with that portion. Therefore, rotation The end result is a stack of m-aster cards in the station 20, with eachr of lthe hollow shaft 144 causes the' drum 12 lto rotate. Moreover, the interior of the shaft 144 communicates with the interior of the drum 12.

Bearings 146 are provided at opposite Vends'of the shaft 144. The inner races of the bearings 146yare mounted on the shaft 144, and the outer races of these bearings are disposed against bushings 148. The bushings'gll are secured toa lhousing 150 by a plurality of studs 152.

, An opening 156 is provided lin the housing 1.50 between the bearings 146 so that a drive belt 158 may extend through the opening into the housing 1'50 and around a pulley 1160. The pulley 160 is keyed to the shaft 144 between thebearings 146, andthe pulley is held against axial miovement by a pair of sleeves '162; These sleeves are mounted on the shaft .144 and are respectively positioned between the pulley and respective ones of the bearings 146.

The bearings 146 and the sleeves 162 are held on the shaft 144 by a nut 166. This nut is screwed on a threaded por-tion at the bottom of the shaft, and a lock washer 164 is interposed between it and the lower bearing 146. A sealing disk 168 is also screwed on the threaded portion at the bottom of the shaft 144. The sealing disk 168 operaftes in conjunction with a bottom plate 17() to resist the movement of air between the interior of the housing 150` the opening in the bottom plate l170` and in friction tit with f that plate. A conduit 174 is axially aligned with the hollow shaft 144 so that air may be exhausted from the hollow interiors of the shaft and the conduit by Ia vacuum pump 176. This pump may beof any suitable known construction' and for that reason is shown in block form only. The vacuum pump 176 4draws air inwardly through the slots 122 and 124 k:and through the interior of the drumy downwardly through the shaft 144 and through the conduit 1714. `This creates a vacuum pressure at the outer peripheral surface of the .annular portion 120 of the. lower section of the drum 10. The deile'ctor ring 140 and the convex under side of the section 130'assures that air will ilow smoothly and with a minimum of turbulence. This enable-s fa bigband adequate vacuum pressure to vbe produced around the outer surface of the annular side'portion 120 firmly Vto retain the cards on that surface.r Details of the gate transfer mechanism 52 are shown in FIGURE 5. As noted albove, the gate transfer mechanisms i60, 56 and S8 may be similarly constructed. Y As also noted, each of these gate transfer mechanisms is constructed to emit a pressurized stream of fluid tangentially of the drum with which it is associated. The individual 10 tion. This hollow interior defines a mouth portion shown in FIGURE 5, and a thin strip 202 is mounted across the mouth portion. This strip is provided with a pair of apertures 204, and these aperturesextend through the strip in respective alignment with the peripheral slots y122 and 124 in the drum 12. The gate transfer mechanism 52 is constructed so that thepressurized fluid such as air which is introduce-d into its hollow interior 200 may pass through the apertures 204 to constitute high pressure streams. Also, lthe gate is positioned so that the streams emerging from the apertures 204 extend in alignment with the peripheral slots .124 and 126 'of the drum lin essentially tangential relationship with the drum. A passageway 206 extends back from the interior 200 of the gate transfer mechanism, and this passageway bends downwardly to communicate with a threaded tubular nipple 210. The nipple 21.0 extends down through `an aperture in the table ,top 1.1 and is held in place by a nut 212. The nut 212 is threaded to the nipple 210` and engages the underside of the table top. The gate transfer mechanism may be mounted, therefore, by inserting the tubular nipple 210 in the aperture in the table top 11, and then by tightening the nut 212 after the gate transfer mechanism is given itsV proper angular position. This angular position issuch that the streams of pressurized fluid from the apertures 294 pass tangentially of the drum 12,v and the position is also such thatthe gate is spaced slightly from the periphery of the drum to enable cards to be circulated past it by the drum when the/pressurized uid is interrupted. The tubular nipple 21d may be coupled to a suitable source of pressurized iiuid by .an appropriate feed line, and a solenoid actuated valve may be mounted in the feed line to control the introduction of pressurized fluid to the gate transfer mechanism.`

The gate transfer mechanisms, when so desired, may be constructed in the manner described in co-pending application Serial No. 685,581, filed September 23, 19'57, now Patent No. 3,001,549, in the name of Alfred M. Nelson et al.

As noted previously, the operations described above are controlled automatically by the logic control system'ofy :FIGURE 6.. The system of `FCIGURE -6 includes a source of direct voltage 220V which has a groundedV common tertion at the end of each set of identifying data, and these `gate transfer mechanisms are Malso positioned to Ibe spaced,` i

-a' slight distance from the periphery of their associated drums to enable cards to be transferred past them by the drums when the streams of pressurized fluid from respective-ones fof ythe gate transfer mechanisms are interrupted.

The gate transfer mechanism 52, as mentioned above, is positioned -at 'the contiguous point between the vacuum transport drums 12l and 14. Asgalso noted, the gate is positionedin a generally tangential relationwith the periphery of the drum 12, but is spacedfrom the periphery a distance sufiicient to allow cards yon the drum 12 to be lcirculated by thedrum past the gate when its pressurized streamsare interrupted.

As illustrated in FIGURE l, the gate 52 has -a plan 4shape Icorresponding essentially to ya tear drop, and it is vsymmetrical about its central axis. This central axis, a-s

the drum 12. It has 4a body portion 201 which has -a hollow interior 200 of an essentially bell-shaped configuratop row punchings serve to control the release of cards from the feed station 18. The other heads process the punched identifying data on the tape to produce elec-tri- `ca1 signals corresponding to the coded equivalent of the particular document number and page numbers which are to be inscribed on the different master cards.

The transducers 23a, 23b, 23o and 23d are connected respectivelyto a plurality of amplifiers 222, 224, 226 and 228 in the transcriber. The transducer 24 of `FIGURE 3 is represented in FIGURE 6 by a group of transducer heads 24a, 24h and 24C. These heads are positioned to process different rows of the magnetic storage area of each master card, as such cardis transported past these heads by the drum 14. The heads 24a, 24h, and 24e are usual electro-magneticwrite heads, and they receive signals from respective ones of the amplifiers 224, 226 and 228. :It is evident` that the number of heads 23b, 23C, 23d, and 24a, 241; and 2-4c'will correspond to the number required to read all the rows of identifying data which are to betransferred from the punched'tape 22 ontol the magnetic storage portion `of the master cards. VThree such heads are shown `for each group in yFIGURE 6 for purposes of simplicity.

. going pulse introduced to these input terminals.

input terminals and a pair of output terminals, and they are triggered from one state to another by a negative- For example, when la negative-going pulse is introduced to Vthe left input terminal of the flip-dop 230 it is triggered to a true state in :which a relatively high voltage is produced at the left output terminal. The dip-flop will remain in that state indefinitely, and until a negative-going pulse is introduced to the right input terminal. When that occurs, the flip-flop is triggered to a false state at which a relatively high voltage is exhibited at its right output terminal and a relatively low voltage is produced at its left output terminal.

The amplifier 222 is also connected to a delay line 232, of any known construction, and the output terminal of the delay line connects with the right input terminal of the flip-flop 230.

The left output terminal of the flip-flop 2301 is connected to the control grid'of a triode 234. The cathode of this triode is grounded, and a resistor 2316 is connected to the control grid and` to the negative terminal of the source of direct voltage 220. The actuating winding of thefeed head 50 is connected to the anode of the tride and to the positive terminal of the source 220. This activating winding is associated with the solenoid valve which controls the vacuum pressure at the feed head. Whenever the triode 23-4 is rendered conductive, a current flows through this winding to close the valve and interrupt jthevacuum pressure. Therefore, a card may be released from the feed station 18, each time the ipflop 230 is triggered to a true state. When that occurs, the relatively high voltage at the left output terminal of the iiip-op causes the triode 234 to become conductive so that the card will bereleased. The delay time of the de- .lay line 232is such that the rip-iiop 230 is returned to a false state, and the triode 234 is rendered non-conductive,

station 18 and before ay second card is released.

The ampli-lier 222 is lalso connected to a delay line 2318, and the delay line supplies its output signal to the left input terminal of a flip-dop 238 and to the input terminal of a delay line 240. The output Vterminal of the delay line is connected to the right input terminal of the dip-flop 238, and the left output terminal of the ip-op connects with the control grid of a triode 242.y The control grid is'connected to one terminal of a resistor 244, and the other `terminal of the resistor is connected to the negative terminal of the source of direct voltage 220.

Likethetriode 234, and like theV triode circuits which willl be described, the triode 242 is biased by the source i2 of pressurized fluid totuansfer each cardcoming within their influence fromthe drum 12 to the drum 14.

The amplier '222 is also connected to the armature` of switch 246. This switchis closedduring the opera-V tion now being described.r However, for operation of the system to be described subsequently, this switch` Y is opened. The xed contact of the switch 246 is-con.`

nected to a group Vof delay lines 248, 250 and-252.

The delay line 248 is connected to the left input terminal of a flip-flop 250 and to a del-ay line 252. The output i terminalV of the delay fline 252 connects with the right as soon las a single card has been released from the feed Y electronic art in genera-l.

220 to a non-conductive state when the flip-flop238 is` in its false state. However, when the flip-dop 238 istriggered to sa true state, the resulting high voltage at its left ,output terminal is suflicient to overcome the negative bias of the triode 242, this winding having one terminal connected to the anode of that triode and having its other terminal connected to the'positiveterminal of the source 22,0. lWhenever the triode 242 isrendered conductive, thenresultingcurrent ilow through the lactivating windingY causes `the solenoid valve to `open so that the gate transfer mechanism 52 is capable of emitting streams input term-inval of the flip-flop 250. The left output terminal of the dip-dop 250 is connected to the control grid of a triode 254. rPhe control gridis connected to a re sistor 256 which, in turn, is connectedto the negative ter'- minal ofthe source 220f ofdirect voltage.

mechanism 56. The other terminal of this winding is connected tothe positive terminal of the source 2,20."

Whenever the flip-ilop V250l is triggered to a true state, the

triode 254 is rendered conductive to energize the winding of the solenoid valve and to open the valve so thatthe gate transfer mechanism 56 can emit streamsV of presv surized fluid tangentially of the peripheral surface of the drum 14.Y Y

The delay line 250connects with the left input terminal of a flip-dop 258. A delay line 260 is connected between` the left input ter-minal of the flip-flop 258 and 4its right input terminal. Therleft output terminal of the dip-dop 258 is connected to one of the input terminals of an and network 262. v input terminal which is connected to the output terminal of a single-shot multivibrator 264. A switch 266 is,

mechanically coupled to the shaft ofthe low speed inter,-

mittent transport drum 16. This switch, or series of switches in parallel, is controlled to close each time the drum enters into a. dwell interval as it is intermittently rotated. Y

And networks, such as the network 262, are well known to the electronic digital computer art. In present dafy systems, these and networks are usually constructed to include tnansistors or diodes. 'Ilhe tnansistors or diodes in the network are sovconnected that the network is oapalbie of passing a signal to its output terminal, only when each of its input terminals has a signal introduced to it, and upon the simultaneous introduction of such input signals. v a Y Single-shot multivibrator networks are equally well known to the electronic digital computer art, and to the Y This network is ameno-stable relaxation oscillator. In the present embodiment, Y-it responds to an instantaneous ground connection on its input terminal to be triggered from a stable state to `an unstable state. It then returns Vto its .sta-ble -state after a predetermined interval. Therefore, each time the switch 266 is actuated', the multivibrator 264 is caused tokgeneratean output pulse, This output pulsehas a duration which is determined by the internal parameters of the multivibrator 264, and which is independent of the interval of closure of the switch 266. f

The output terminal ofthe and network 262 is con.- nected to the left input terminal of a flip-flop 268 vand to a delay line 270.V The output ter-minal `of the delay line 270 is connected to the right input terminal of the tlip-flop 268. 1

Tlhe left output Vter-minal ofthe dip-hop 268 is con-V nected to the control grid of a triode 272. The cathode 1 of the triode 272 is grounded, and thecontrol grid'of the n triode is. connected to one terminal of Va resistorV 274.

The other terminal of the resistor 274`isr connected to the negative terminal of thesource 220. 'The anode of the triode 272 is connected tothe activating winding of'V a The cathode of the n triode 254 is grounded, and the 'anoder of this triode is connected to one terminal of thev activating wind-V ing of the solenoid valve associated with vthe gate transfer A The and network has a second` control relay 276, the other terminal of this winding being connected to the positive terminal of the source 220i. The control relay 276 may have a usual construction which is well known to the photographic art. When the winding Vof the control relay is energized, the relay functions to activate the lamp 66 of IFIGURE 3 so that the exposure of theseven microfilm frames onto the master card may take place. Then, at the end of a timed interval, this relay serves to de-activate the exposure lamp, 'and to advance the microfilm so that the next seven frames are brought into the exposing position, so that they may he exposed onto the next master card. I

The delay line 252 connects with the left input termina of ra Hip-flop 278 and with the input terminal of a delay line 280. The delay line 280 is connected to the right input terminal of the flipaiiop 278, and the left output terminal of the flip-dop is connected` to the control grid of a triode 282. A resistor 284 is connected to the control grid of the tniod-e 282 Vand to lthe negative terminal of the source of direct voltage 220. 'I'he cathode of the triode 282 is grounded, :and the anode of this triode is ing the transcribing yand .recording operation now beingl connected to the activating winding of the solenoid valve associated with the gate tnansfer mechanism 5S. rPhe other terminal of this winding is connected to the positive terminal of the source 220i. Whenever the dip-dop 278 is triggered to ya true state, the triode 282 is rendered conductive, and the gate transfer mechanism 5,8 is causedl to emit streams of pressurized fluid to effect la transfer of 1a card from the'drurn 16 back to the'drum 14.

The amplifier 222 is further connected to a delay line 286, and this delay line has an output terminal connected transducer heads 2311, 23e and 23d process the identifying data on the punched tape corresponding to the released master card. This data is therefore transferred to the master card and appears in its magnetic storage area as a magnetic recording. As noted, this recording is a coded indication of theA document number and the page numbers of the documentary images that are to beV described and covered by FIGURES l to 6, inclusive, and the delay line 248 causes the pulse from the ampliher 222 to trigger the flip-flop 250' to its true state at the proper time. to activate the gate 56 so that the released master Card may be transferred by it to the low speed intermittent drum 16. In the manner described, the card from the high speed drum 14 is brought Iagainst one of the ribs 54 of the drum 16 and held there until the intermittent rotation of the drum ldcarries the card past the gate transfer mechanisms 56 and 58. n

The master card is now carried by the drum 16 past the exposure station 26. The delay line 25d= assures that the flip-hop 258 will be triggered to a true state by theL f posure station. Then, when the ylow yspeed disk 16 enters of the source 220. Tlhe cathode of the triode 220 is grounded, and-its 'anode is connected to one terminal of the `activating Winding of the lsolenoidfvalve associated with the gate transfer mechanism 60. The other terminal of this valve is connected to the positive terminal of lthe source of direct voltage 220. Whenever ythe tiip-op 288 is triggered to a true state, the triode 292 is rendered conductivewand the resulting'current iiows through the winding of the solenoid valve associated with the gate transfer mechanism to obtain an emission of streams of pressurized fluid for transfer purposes.

As the tape 22 is drawn past the transducer heads 23a, 23h, 23C and 23d, \a punching in the top row of the tape is sensed Iby the head 23m, and this causes the amplifier 222 to develop a positive-going pulse. This pulse is introduced to the left input terminal of the hip-flop 230, and the negative-going trailing edge of this pulse triggers the flip-flop to la true state. This causes the triode 234 to become conductive, so that a card is released from the feed station 18 to the periphery of the drum 12. As described above, the delay `line 232 returns the nip-flop 230 to Ia lfalse state ybefore a second card has a chance to Ybe released from the feed station.

The released card is carried on the periphery of the drum,12g to the gate transfer mechanism 52. The delay n The released Lcard is now carried by the 14 past the transducer heads 24a, 24h, and 24e.

A usual buffer lline 236 delays the pulse `from the amplifier 222 so that may be used, or the drive of the punched tape 22 may :be synchronized, so that the released master card reaches its next full dwell interval, the multivibrator 264 generates an output pulse which is translated by the and network 262 to trigger the flip-flop 268. This assures that the `hip-flop 268 will be triggered to a true state at the vstart of a dwell period ofthe intermittently driven drum v16. This, inturn, assures that the photographic equipment at theexposure station will be activated at the start of a dwell period. This ohviates any possibility of the master card lbeing moved during the `exposure operations. When the flip-flop 268 is triggered to a true state, the triode 272 is rendered conductive so that the relay 276 is activated. Then, and in thewdescribed manner, the corresponding Vseven frames of the microfilm are `exposed `onto the master card. The master card is then carried to the developing station28, Vand it emerges from the latter station with its documentaryL images recorded on its photographic section, and with the identifying magnetic data recorded on its magnetic storage section.

The card is now transported by the drum 16- to the gate transfer mechanism 58. The delay line 252 assures that the liip-flopy 278 will be triggered to` its true state at the proper moment to activate the gate 58'and to transfer the master card back to the drum 14. The delay lineZS, like the delay lines 240, 252 vand 290, returns its associated flip-flop to a false state to turn olf the cor-respondingV gate transfer mechanisms after each card transfer has been completed.

The master card is nowv carried `on the drum 14 tol the gate transfer mechanism 60; AThe delay line 286 assures that the flip-flop 288 wil-l be `triggered to a true state next card is released from the feed station 18 and the operations are repeated on thatv card. These operations are continued until each card contains its group of photographic images from the microfilm, with eachl group being identiiiedby magnetic information from the punched tape corresponding to the proper document numbers and page numbers.

lapplication of the document.

Y above.

. There are now a `series of master cards Yin the .stack station 20, each bearing a group of document images which are identified Iby the document number. However, the document itself :may have several fields Of applicability. For example, a designation vas to Los Angeles may have applicability in different classifications such as California United States, North America and cities For that reason, the present invention provides' a separate index card for each different field of Within the concepts of the present invention, a group of index cards` for each document is made up and the documentary images from the master car-ds are transferred to each index card bearing the lsame document number, and the index cards are then automatically placed in different iiles corresponding to the different areas of applicability of the document in question.

Each document, as it is received, is studied and for each area of applicability, an indexing record is produced. This indexing record will include the document number, an identification Yof the subject of coverage, and any additional pertinent linformation which should he included. The resulting record is punched onto a paper tape in known manner and lby the use of known equipment. The record, or portions of it, is repeated on the tape for each different field of applicability so that a separate index card for each such field may be made up. Then, yby use of apparatus: similar to that described in conjunction with FIGURES 3 and 6, a stack olf-index car-ds from the feed station 18 receives the data from thepunched tape, and these cards are stacked in the stack stati-on 20. For the latter operations, however,

, the `switch 246 isopened so that there will be no transfer of these latter cards onto the drurn 16. The cards in the stack station 20 now have recordings on their magneticA storage are-as only. These recordings will incl-udc the document number, the indexrecord as described above, and there may be several of such cards `for each previously prepared mia-ster card depending upon how many different |areas of applicability the docu-ment in question may have.

lt will be assumed that the index cards in their stack vare sorted in .an ascending or descending progression of ,document numbers. tlf, for any reason, the master cards from each master card onto the index cards associated With the master card. It will .be remembered that a stack of master cards has previously been obtained, and each master card in the stack is identified by a document number. For-.purposes of simplicity, it will be assumed that a different document is represented by each master card. However, as described above, the same document may have different pages on each of a group of master cards. It will also be assumed that the document numbers recorded on the master cards are in an `ascending ordescending progression. That is, the master cards in the stack are sorted with respect to their document-numbers.

Also, it will be assumed that a stack has been provided Which includesY a plurality of index cards. Each index card in the stack is identified by a document numbercorresponding to a document number on an equivalent master card. However, each master card Inlay have several index cards in the second stack, as indicated The apparatus to be described in conjunction with FIGURES 7 and 8 is capable of taking the cards of the master stack and of the index stack described above and collating the cards into a single stack. The result of this collating process is to provide -a single stack in which each master card bearing a particular document number is followed by all the index cards having the same document number. The collating apparatus of FIGURES 7 and 8 is similiar to that descnibed and claimed in copending application Serial No. 703,080, tiled December 16, 1957, now Patent No. 3,039,603, in .the narne` of Jerome B. yWiener. This apparatus is shown as a top pllan view inFIGURE 7 and theY llogic control system for the apparatus is shown in FIGURE 8.

The lappanatus of FIGURE 7 includes suitable transport means Isuch as rotatable vacuum pressure transporting drum 310. The drum 3-10 may be rotatably mounted on a suitable horizontal table top 311, and the drum is considered as being rotatable in a counter-clockwise direction. A second horizontal rotatable vacuum pressure transporting drum 312 may also be mounted on the table top l311. likewise, a third or common rotatable vacuum pressure transponting drumy 314 is mounted on the table top 311 to be adjacent both the drums 310 vand '312. The drum 311.2 is rotatable in a counter-clockwise direction, and the drum 314 is rotatable in a clockwise direction.

The drums 310,'"3112 and` 3114-`A may be constructed in a manner similar to the drum `12 descnibed above.

Av first gate transfer mechanismV 316 is mounted on the table top 311, and this gate transfer mechanism is disposed between the drums 310 land 314 near the contiguousY point of these two drums. The gate transfer mechanism 316 may be similar to the gate transfer H mechanism 52 described above. The gate transfer mechautism-316 is constructed to emit streams of pressurized fluid, such as air, in a tangential direction yrelative* tov the periphery of the drum 310. These streams of air cause a card transported on the periphery ofthe drum 310 and coming under their iniiuence'to be stripped from the drum 310 and transferred to the peripheral surface of the dnum 314.

A similar gatetnansfer mechanism 318 is mountedV A first feed type of card holding station 320 is positioned on the table top-311 with its mouth adjacent the periphery of the drum 310. This feed station 320 is constructedv in the same manner as the feed station 18 of FIGURE 3, and it is intended `to hold the master cards, for example, in a stacked condition with the lower edges of the cards resting on the table top 3-11.

In the described manner, a vacuum pressure is established at the periphery of the drum 310. This vacnum pressure tends to withdraw the leading card from the station 320' so that the leading card may be transported on the periphery of the'drum. The release ofV the leading card from the station is opposed, however, by a vacuum pressure feed head 322 which is similar to the feed head 50 of FIGURE 3.

The feed head 322 is mounted adjacent the leading Wall of the station 320, and it extends partially across the mouth of the station to engage the face of the leading card Y `in the station. A vacuum pressure is established at the Vfeed head 322 which is sufficient to overcome the tendency of the drum 310 to withdraw the leading card from the station 320. However, a solenoid-actuated In the same manner 

1. APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING INFORMATION STORAGE CARDS HAVING IDENTIFYING DATA TO TRANSFER PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES FROM A MEDIUM TO THE CARDS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE IDENTIFYING DATA, SAID APPARATUS INCLUDING IN COMBINATION, AN EXPOSURE STATION FOR PHOTOGRAPHICALLY TRANSFERRING DOCUMENT IMAGES FROM THE MEDIUM TO DIFFERENT ONES OF THE INFORMATION STORAGE CARDS, A FIRST RELATIVELY LOW SPEED ROTATABLE TRANSPORT DRUM CONSTRUCTED TO CARRY THE CARDS PAST THE EXPOSURE STATION, MEANS DISPOSED RELATIVE TO THE DRUM FOR PROVIDING AN INTERMITTENT MOVEMENT OF THE CARDS TO ARREST THE CARDS FOR A PARTICULAR INTERVAL AT THE EXPOSURE STATION, A FEED STATION DISPOSED RELATIVE TO THE DRUM FOR HOLDING THE INFORMATION STORAGE CARDS IN A STACKED CONDITION, MEANS INCLUDING A SECOND CONTINUOUSLY DRIVEN RELATIVELY HIGH SPEED ROTATABLE TRANSPORT DRUM POSITIONED RELATIVE TO SAID FIRST DRUM FOR RECEIVING CARDS IN SUCCESSION FROM THE FEED STATION, MEANS OPERATIVE UPON THE CARDS ON THE FIRST DRUM FOR TRANSFERRING CARDS FROM THE SECOND DRUM TO THE FIRST DRUM, SAID FIRST DRUM HAVING A PLURALITY OF AXIAL RIBS SPACED ABOUT THE PERIPHERY THEREOF FOR INDIVIDUALLY RECEIVING EACH CARD TRANSFERRED FROM THE SECOND DRUM AND TO HOLD SUCH CARD AGAINST THE ROTATION OF THE SECOND DRUM UNTIL THE TRANSFER OF THE CARD TO THE FIRST DRUM IS COMPLETED, MEANS AT THE EXPOSURE STATION FOR EXPOSING RESPECTIVE ONES OF THE DOCUMENT IMAGES FROM THE FIRST-NAMED MEDIUM ON RESPECTIVE ONES OF THE CARDS WHEN THE SAME ARE ARRESTED AT THE EXPOSURE STATION, A STACK STATION DISPOSED RELATIVE TO THE SECOND DRUM FOR HOLDING THE PROCESSED INFORMATION CARDS IN A STACKED CONDITION, AND MEANS OPERATIVE UPON THE CARDS ON THE SECOND DRUM FOR OBTAINING A SEQUENTIAL TRANSFER OF CARDS FROM THE SECOND DRUM TO THE STACK STATION UPON THE EXPOSURE OF THE PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES ON THE CARDS. 